Flames to Dust
by theauthorwearsprada
Summary: Why do all good things come to an end? A PyroJubilee story. Post X3.


"Flames to Dust" by **theauthorwearsprada**

Summary: Why do all good things come to an end? A Pyro/Jubilee story. Post X3.

Disclaimer: Marvel owns the characters. This fic is based on the song "All Good Things" by Nelly Furtado from her album _Loose_. All I own is the plot.

* * *

Honestly, what will become of me? I don't know what to do anymore. I realize now how stupid I was. Did I honestly believe that I would never see her again? It's a small world, after all. Oh, wow. I'm quoting a Disney song. Do you see what she does to me?

I never thought about what I would do if I ran into her. I never stopped loving her, not for one second. Even as I left the X-Jet at Alkali Lake that night, I loved her with every step I took. Leaving someone doesn't mean that you stop loving them. It had to be done. The only thing I regret is not having a chance to say goodbye.

I'll admit it; I looked for her when I saw Bobby at Alcatraz. She wasn't there. I should have known. They always did underestimate her power. But I knew how much she could be. Oh well, it's their loss anyway.

It killed me that I couldn't contact her at all. There were so many things left unsaid. It's not fair. I wanted to tell her that I'm sorry for leaving her. I wanted to say that I still thought about her every day. I wanted her to know how much I missed her, and how much it hurt not seeing her or talking to her. Most of all, I wanted to let her know that I still loved her.

She didn't know this, but I always kept a picture of us in my back pocket. We were at the mall (big surprise there), and we saw that they opened up a new picture booth. I remember how she dragged me all the way over there. I hate taking pictures.

"Oh, c'mon Johnny! It'll be fun!" she said. And being the huge pile of mush that I am when I'm around her, I agreed.

Well, it was kinda fun. She managed to make the stupidest faces, and still look completely adorable. I, on the other hand, looked like a total ass. But she said I looked cute, and her opinion is pretty much the only one that really matters.

She has one of the strips, and I have one of the strips. To this day, I still have mine. It's wrinkled and ripped and even burned (oops) in some places, but I still have it. I think I probably looked at it every day, just to remind me of why I was even here and what I was fighting for. I wonder if she still has her copy. I hope so.

I still remember that day because of what happened that night when we got home. She didn't really feel like going back to the room that she shared with Kitty, so she came to mine instead. We were just talking and laughing like usual, but that night felt different for some reason. I couldn't put my finger on it, and I still can't figure out what it was. But that night changed everything.

I kissed her. I don't know why, but it just felt like that perfect thing to do at the time. And it was. Her blue eyes widened with surprise, but it only lasted for a second. Because after that, she kissed me back. And that kiss led to a longer kiss, which led to her shirt coming off, which led to my pants coming off, which led to me waking up not so alone in the morning. I don't regret that night, and I could tell that she didn't either.

The times following that night were the best of my life. There wasn't a day that went by without me telling her that I loved her. Sometimes I said it first, and sometimes she did. But it didn't matter because the passion that we felt for each other was the strongest thing in our bodies. We spent every waking moment with each other. We spent so many nights together that Kitty even said it was like she didn't have a roommate anymore. I would have died for her. Actually, I still would die for her.

But as our love grew to the point where it was almost overwhelming, my resentment for all things X did as well. I think I was the only one who wasn't lapping up all that bullshit the adults were feeding us. What's the use of having a power if you can't use it? People should be proud of their mutations, instead of trying to hide them. She was really the only thing that kept me tied down to that place. But when I saw my ticket out of there slowly whizzing up in the air, I took it without a second thought. I kinda wish now that I did think it over for a second time.

When I walked into that bar a few hours ago, I had no idea that it would change my life. I saw her again.

* * *

John walked into the bar, ready for a good drink after a hard day's work. He quickly scanned the room out of habit, but saw no one of interest until he took a double take at a familiar petite figure sitting at the bar alone.

Her hair was longer now, but she was still as tiny as always. And when she turned her head to get the bartender's attention, John caught a glimpse of her face. It was her.

He got to the bar just as she was finished ordering her drink. He took some bills out of his pocket and put them down.

"Don't worry, I got this one."

"Well," she said as she turned to face him, but stopped when she saw who he was. "Johnny?"

"Hey Jubes," he replied.

Jubilee stood up and embraced him. "Wow, Johnny! I haven't seen you since the day you left me—us. All of us. At the Institute." She quickly corrected herself and turned slightly pink at her mistake.

John winced. "I know; I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. I have so much to say to you." He bent down to kiss her, and was surprised when she subtly turned her head so that he got her cheek instead.

"You don't have to say anything, Johnny. It was practically a year ago; it's ancient history now," she said with a small smile on her face. She sat back down in her seat. "So how are you?"

"Uh, I'm fine, I guess," he replied, a slightly confused look on his face as he sat down on the stool next to her.

_Why doesn't she want to talk about it? Doesn't she want to know how I've been feeling all this time?_

"That's good," Jubilee replied, trailing off at the end.

_Well, this isn't awkward_, John thought. "So, anything new going on at the Institute?"

"Um," Jubilee said. "Bobby and Rogue broke up a while ago. And about a month or two ago, a new mutant named Gambit came. He asked Rogue out, like a week after he got there, and now they're dating."

"Oh, I see," John said. _You_ _sure miss a lot after you're gone for a year._ "Poor Bobby."

"Not so much," Jubilee replied staring into her drink.

A few moments of silence passed by as John pondered her strange response.

"I missed you," he finally said. "A lot."

Jubilee looked up at him and smiled. "I missed you, too, Johnny."

John smiled back. "So what did you mean by 'not so much'?"

"Oh," Jubilee said, staring at her drink once more. "Well, you see, Bobby and I are—"

She paused when a voice came up behind the two of them. "Hey baby, sorry I'm late. You know how NYC traffic is. Who are you talking to?"

They both turned around to face Bobby Drake. Jubilee bit her lip, and glanced over at John, who had a look of complete shock on his face.

"—together now," John finished for her.

"John?" Bobby said incredulously. "What the hell…?"

"Bobby," Jubilee said with her eyebrows raised, giving him a Look.

"Yeah, well. I'm gonna go to… the bathroom. Yeah," Bobby said when he saw the look of confusion and hurt on John's face. He slowly ambled away.

Jubilee sat silently. It was almost like she was afraid to say something. John took the burden from her.

"So, when did this happen?"

"Johnny, I'm so sorry. I really didn't want you to find out like this," Jubilee said in a rush. "Actually, I never thought you'd find out at all, since I thought that I would never see you again. But here you are." She paused.

"I still care about you a lot, Johnny. I really hope we can still be friends."

There it was. The Line of Doom. John had hoped beyond belief that it would never come to this.

But really, he should have seen it coming. He couldn't expect her to wait for him, could he? There was no telling her that she would ever see him again, so it would be natural for her to move on. He was gone for a whole year. That's twelve months. That's three hundred and sixty-five days. That's way too long to make someone wait for you, without contacting that person even once.

By this time, Bobby had come back from the "bathroom." He stood behind Jubilee and put his hand on her shoulder. "So…"

Jubilee stood up. "Thank you for the drink, Johnny. So I guess I'll see you around?"

"Yeah, see you," John said quietly.

She bit her lip once more, but took Bobby's hand and walked out the door.

* * *

I didn't even tell her that I still loved her.

How could I? She seemed so content with Bobby. I couldn't just tell her I loved her while she was another guy. It wouldn't be fair to her. I just want her to be happy. Even if it's not with me.

I only feel gravity, and I wonder why. But I guess without her, it's the only thing I _can_ feel.

I don't like reality. It's way too clear to me. It's way too clear to me that she doesn't love me anymore. She probably hasn't for a while now. I can't say that I blame her.

The pain sets in, and I don't cry. I can't. Not yet. It doesn't feel real. I loved her for so long that I can't even begin to think of a world without her loving me back.

I guess our passion was our downfall. Things got too heated too fast, and we were too young to handle it. The fact that I up and left at the peak of our romance probably didn't help things much. During our time apart, she managed to move on while I held on to something that I didn't even know was already gone.

Like flames to dust, we went from lovers to friends.

Why do all good things come to an end?

**THE END**

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A/N: Thanks for taking the time to read.


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